Not in My Lesson Plans
by liathluachra
Summary: Dating Sasha? That's stupid. They were childhood friends...right? And their students had to realize that!Modern Jeansasha AU in which Sasha and Jean are teachers in the same school and their students try to get them together.


"Mr. Kirschtein, have you and Ms. Braus started dating yet?"

That was normal for him. It never used to be, but now it was. The first time, Jean sputtered his morning coffee from his mouth; the second time, he dropped his pen; the third time, he just blushed darkly and shook his head vehemently. Now it was just exasperated sighs and quiet no's.

Look, just because he talked to his best friend all the time in between classes and during planning didn't mean he liked her, right? Why couldn't his students see that?

Okay, so _maybe_ they flirted a little. Well, more than just a little. And _maybe_ he liked her a little. Well, more than just a little.

But they weren't dating! He just hadn't seen her since high school, is all! And now, eight years later, they met up again, chatting and reminiscing about their high school days while teaching in the same building.

Sometimes when they conversed the students would get excited by their behavior, or jealous. Since Jean was twenty-six, arguably one of the youngest and most attractive teachers there, many of the female students at Trost High fawned and ogled over him daily. He rather enjoyed all the attention, and as Sasha would say, things never really changed.

Ah…there he was going off about Sasha again.

In high school, if he had thought of her any way other than one of the guys, Jean would have kicked himself in the face and would have told her to get his shit together. Sasha was boyish, athletic, stubborn, and feisty- all characteristics he would associate with himself, of course. She wasn't as enchantingly ethereal looking as Christa Renz, or as exotically exquisite as Mikasa Ackerman. But then, when he had caught wind of a new history teacher in the district, he finally saw Sasha as those things.

He had finally seen Sasha Braus as the woman she was.

Jean had observed that she was still playful and a little bit of a tomboy, but she had filled out finally and had grown up a bit. Minimal makeup (because she was rather against it in high school) highlighted her features, and even though she still sported her iconic ponytail most of the time, the professional attire she dressed herself in gave her more of a feminine mystique than Jean had ever noticed.

Not that it mattered to him, of course. Despite Sasha's transformation into someone he found exceedingly attractive, she was still Sasha.

And Jean told himself to remember that. He had to remember it was _Sasha_ he was talking to, not some girl he was hoping to land a date with. Someone he had fallen for.

But then why was it he hoped to God that every time he talked to her, she wouldn't catch the pink that tinged his cheeks? That's probably what made all his students' hearts go aflutter with "feels", as some of them called it.

He had to just turn down this student like the rest of them. Letting out the sigh he usually did, he shook his head.

"No, Maria," he said quietly, "we're not. Not that it should be of any importance to you anyway. Shouldn't you be focusing on the assignment I gave out for homework? Not my dating life. You, Sina, and Rose should calm down and let whatever happens happen. Besides, Ms. Braus and I are childhood friends, and nothing more."

Childhood friends, and nothing more. That's how it's been, and that's how it always would be. The thought of them being _more_ than friends had crossed Jean's mind, but it was because he was a man, she was a woman, and they loved each other, even if it was platonic. But to him, he wasn't going to put himself out there, and he wasn't going to say anything to her.

"But Mr. Kirschtein! She's single, she told us! And there's no time like the present! She's an attractive lady, you're an attractive man, you're joined at the hip, it practically ma-"

"Please stop, Maria. I really don't care for this nonsense and I don't appreciate the fact you keep trying to set me up with Sash- Ms. Braus. We're _just _friends, got it? So knock it off and stop getting everyone in on it. It's a nuisance."

With a pout, the student named Maria left, and Jean was left alone to tend to the planning and the work that went along with being a French teacher. That would be, of course, until he would go to lunch and see _her_.

For some reason, he dreaded it today, and he shouldn't be, since they had been best friends since they were young. He didn't know if it was the fact he had been bothered so many times already that day, or the fact that with every question about her that was directed towards him caused him to actually think about the fact they could be a thing. There was potential- everyone picked up on it, including himself. But Sasha…he wasn't so sure. For as perspicacious as the brunette was, she could be really dense when it came to romance. Jean still wondered exactly how she landed a boyfriend in his best friend, Marco Bodt. That boy was as awkward as someone could possibly be around a girl. He'd clam up, stutter, and blush profusely, and if anyone was watching them talk, it was so obvious that he had had a crush on her.

He not only wondered how she had landed a boyfriend in Marco, but he also wondered how he _didn't_ land a girlfriend in Mikasa. Some would say she was his first love; others would say it was a deep schoolgirl crush. Whatever it was, Mikasa never liked him, and his arrogant nature would always ask him why. Teenage Jean though, he was the arrogant one. Adult Jean, well, he mellowed a bit. He liked to think of himself like a fine wine, being more pleasant as he aged. Of course, when he told that to Sasha, she told him that if he was like a fine wine, he'd be tasty, and of course that got them feeling awkward until the flirtatious jokes came. He remembered his cheeks flushing a bright red and-

There his mind went again. Bringing it back to Sasha.

He finally snapped out of his stupor when the bell for the next period rang in his ears. Walking down the hallways of the school, he heard giggling and whispers as the corner of his eye caught the friend he oh so wished to avoid at the moment walking down the hallway perpendicular. He pretended not to notice her, maybe so she wouldn't notice him, but he knew it was a longshot. He knew Sasha wouldn't ever miss it with her keen senses.

But this time, it seemed to work. He seemed to have avoided her! Today was his lucky day!

But…he felt guilty. He felt that it was wrong for him to be happy about avoiding his best friend, and felt even worse that he was doing so. It was just because of all the student matchmaking bullshit…right? Not because he was actually in love with her. That'd be stupid.

He had almost made it until he heard a voice.

"Ms. Braus, are you looking for Mr. Kirschtein? He just walked down that hallway!"

And at that moment, he cursed that student Maria for ever opening her mouth.

"Jea- Mr. Kirschtein!"

He heard her call, and he had no choice but to turn and acknowledge her existence. There she was, in all her cheery energy, cantering down the hallway- in a skirt, no less. Of course she would. She'd be the only woman in the world who'd wear a pencil skirt and almost jog down a hallway to meet up with someone. But Jean, he found it endearing. He liked that quality about her. Even just thinking about her warmth caused him to flash a smile, and it only grew when she grinned back.

"There you are! We usually always walk to lunch together! I was afraid you were avoiding me or something," she laughed, giving him a hearty grin and walking almost synonymously with his step.

"Me? Avoid you? The only way I'd avoid you is if you passed a lot of gas. Lucky for me, you eat everything _but_ beans."

"Wow, rude! You make me sound like a glutton. Well, I guess I am, since all you eat is hay, ponyboy."

"Now now, that's unprofessional. We wouldn't want to set a bad example for the children now, would we?" he said, turning to look at her with a smirk upon his face.

"Of course not. So don't be picking on me, Mr. Kirschtein, or I might have to report you for bullying," she retorted, smirk on her face back. The digs began, and Jean absolutely _loved _ them. It was a competition between the two and was natural for their playful relationship. That, and he liked to see how far he could push her before she did that cute little pout of hers.

Cute…he didn't mean to think that!

"Bullying? Please. We both know there's not an imbalance of power here. Though you making comments could get you in trouble, Ms. Braus. You get punished for reporting false bullying!" A wink, and that's how he'd end it for now.

"It's not bullying when both parties have fun," she grinned, opening the door to the faculty room for him, "For you, oh noble steed."

Jean just laughed and walked in, looking back at her afterwards.

Avoiding her? Screw that.

Sasha was unavoidable, and he was totally okay with that.


End file.
